“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1–2, ESV)
When we lived in Chicago, we would drive some 16 hours straight to vacation with our families in the Philadelphia area. On this trip we would come to the Allegany Mountains and a tunnel that went through one section. When we entered the tunnel, a sign instructed us to turn on our lights. However, even with our lights on the tunnel was still relatively dark. We would travel through the tunnel for quite a ways and then we could see the end of the tunnel. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, a bright light. We knew that it was just a matter of time until we would get there and enter the bright light again.
The words recorded by Isaiah indicate that of a future glorious light. Israel would go through some dark hours and yet they would experience a glorious future. They would experience a time of when the Lord of glory would reign in complete victory. They would experience the blessing of this glorious light.
I am going to say this. Life is not always easy. We have many struggles and trials to negotiate. Some of these trials are self-induced through our own foolish choices. Some result from circumstances and the actions of others thrust upon us. We must work hard to make a living. We endure various bodily infirmities. We sometimes struggle with relationships. You name it, life is tough at times. Yet there is a glorious hope for every one of God’s children.
Just as Isaiah describes this glorious light for Israel, we have a glorious hope as well. There is a light for each of us at the end of the tunnel. While we are in the darkness for a moment, the light of Christ is eternal. Isaiah stated that the Lord’s glory has risen upon us and will be seen in us.
Are you going through the tunnel of darkness today? Be of good cheer. As a believer in Christ, you have a glorious future. Paul states that your “present sufferings are producing an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all.”
Renewing the Heart 